Uncharted: The Fear That Binds
by MARamsay
Summary: Just another adventure. Following the findings of Hernán Cortés, this leads the gang to Spain and Mexico to find an ancient Aztec treasure that is said to show ones worst fears. Only thing is, they aren't the only ones after it (of course). Nothing ever changes. Expect this to be an action packed adventure just like the games. Updates wherever possible! (bear with me ; 2/27/18)
1. Prologue

_I and my companions suffer from a disease of the heart  
_ _which can be cured only with gold_

-Hernán Cortés, 1519

* * *

"Crap. Hold on!" Nathan Drake shouted as he turned the jeep sharply to the left. They both let out a grunt as the 4x4 slid into a rock before speeding off straight. Shots rang out from the passenger side.

"I'm almost out!" Elena Fisher yelled over the return fire she received from their chasers. They had a slight head start but the bigger trucks were gaining fast. A familiar sound caught both of their attention. The river. If they could make it across they might have a chance. Nate turned the jeep back towards the right, gliding over a boulder in their path. The poor jeep was airborne for a second and landed with a jolt as smoke started to seep from under the hood.

"Don't lose sight of them!" someone shouted from behind. Elena stood to take her last shots. She watched as one landed in the driver of a following 4x4 causing it to turn into a tree and catch fire. Their car jerked as Nate tried to navigate the jungle at high speeds, dodging trees and rocks in the path. Elena lost her balance and let out a gasp as she started to fall but stopped when Nate grabbed her arm.

"I said hold on!" He mocked, pulling her back into the seat. A gaining truck rammed the back of their car making the pair lurch forward. She let out two shots with no luck. The truck sped up to pull along side their right.

"Give me your gun!" Elena reached over and snatched the Para from the driver. She steadied herself. Once the truck was right next to her she let out three consecutive shots breaking the window and hitting the driver. The truck spun out and crashed.

"Yeah! Nice shot!" Nate called over; proud to call this woman his wife. A couple more sharp turns and gun shots later the river was in sight, the rapid water roaring ferociously. Nate pulled along side, looking for anyway to cross without being swept by the current. The ground turned to mud beneath their gunshot riddled jeep making it fishtail.

"Nate..." Elena worriedly yelled. Nate, trying to get control of the vehicle, looked up and saw a waterfall getting closer by the second.

"I see it.."

"No! Nate!" She grabbed his arm. "RPG!" He turned his head just in time to see one of the trucks behind them fire a shot. It hit to the left of the back wheel, the force of the blast causing the jeep to skid. Nate fought the wheel back. "Left!" Elena shouted, seeing a path away from the chaos. He turned the wheel sharply letting him get a good look at the RPG aimed right at him.

"Crap crap crap!" He tried to turn again but the shot had been fired. The explosion landed right on back wheel. The 4x4 screeched and slide sideways through the muddy riverbank. Thinking fast, he clutched Elena and pulled out his grappling hook. The car slid faster when another shot was taken. Fire started to pour from the engine.

"Naaate!" Elena, unsure of his plan, held on tighter. The end of the road was just a few feet away. The jeep hit a small rock and turned, now sliding backwards towards the falls. The pair jumped out of their seats and onto the smoking hood. They ducked slightly when bullets whizzed passed them.

"Here we go!" Nate let out one last cry as the damaged car skidded effortlessly down the cliff side. He threw the rope, snagging it on a branch. The pair jerked forward from the impact and swung hard into the rock wall, knocking the breath out of them. He looked up when a crack rang though his ears. He grasped the blonde tighter just as the branch snapped in two. They both let out a scream until the water hit them like a pound of bricks.


	2. Fear in the Making

(20 years ago)

"Come on little brother, its Halloween. It's supposed to be scary." Samuel Drake, 17, shook his head at his brother who refused to budge. The boardwalk was full of fall and Halloween decorations but the Drake brothers found themselves at the scariest attraction.

"Na-uh. I'm not going in there." Nathan crossed his arms in protest, looking up at the haunted house. There was a creepily painted clown looking back down at him. He shuttered.

"Look, I'll be right there with you. I promise nothing bad will happen." Sam yanked his brother by the arm. Nate tried to weigh himself down but Sam was stronger. "It's all fake you know." He said letting go of his brother to give the worker two tickets.

"I still don't want to go in there."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Sam smirked and stood in the doorframe.

"Come on kid, you're holding up the line." The worker glared at the indecisive boy. Nate sighed and walked to his brother.

"If I die-" Nate started

"Oh don't be so dramatic! Let's go." Sam wrapped an arm around his younger brother and walked further into the dark tunnel. They heard screams up head, but so far all they saw where cheap, store bought props. "See, not so bad huh?" Sam smirked and walked over to a table with a lit lantern. "Check it out! WooOOOOooo!" Sam picked up an obviously fake severed hand and waved it around. Nate let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, guess it's not so bad." He examined the items with little interest. After seeing a mansion full of actual historical artifacts, this little sideshow seemed boring. A door slammed and Nathan instinctively turned. "What was that?!" He eyes darted to the dark, empty doorway that lay ahead.

"It was just a sound effect, don't be so jumpy." Sam, still looking at the fake blood and guts on the table, sighed.

"No, I saw something move. It went to the next room."

"Well then. Let's go see what it was!" The excitement in Sam's voice worried Nate, but against his better judgment he followed his brother.

The next room was pitch back save for a single red light bulb in the middle of the room. They could see gruesome photographs all over the walls. More screams came from up ahead.

"Sam, can we just go back?" Nate asked, griping his brother's arm.

"Just a few more rooms." Sam smiled down. They turned a corner and the door slammed shut behind them, causing them both to jump. Their vision lost to the pitch-black room. They stopped, unsure of where to go next.

"Sam?" Nate whispered. The silence felt heavy in the darkness. Sam took a couple steps forwards, Nathan still holding on to his brother's sleeve. They walked slowly, trying to avoid running into walls and obstacle. Nate took a step and the ground beneath him gave way slightly. A bright flash of light blinded them for a moment but once their eyes adjusted they saw a figure standing beside them. The lights dimmed again, letting them only see basic shapes in their way. "SAM!" Nathan yelled as the figure advanced and snatched Nate from his protector.

"Nathan!" Sam yelled in horror, watching the figure drag his brother through to the next room. Sam ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Hearing his brother scream caused his heart to pound faster. He slid into the next room, almost falling over. It was so bright his eyes hurt. He squinted and raised his hands. "Nathan!" Sam cursed once his vision focused on the figure and his younger brother. The pale clown smiled slowly to Sam, making chills run down his spine. The clown had one hand over Nate's mouth, the other binding him around his chest. Nate tried to break free. Blood dripping down his arm from the sharp nails that held him. He tried to scream out.

Sam didn't know what to do. The clown's crimson eyes and smile pierced though Sam's soul. He gripped the boy tighter. The hand that was holding his mouth moved to under the boy's chin. His sinister look never waiving as he snapped-

* * *

Nathan woke up in a cold sweat. He hadn't thought of that night since he was a kid, though his nightmare was a lot more terrifying then he remembered. He sat up in bed and tried to catch his breath, his heart was pounding in his chest. A feeling of calmness washed over him when he turned and saw Elena sound asleep next to him. She seemed so at peace he couldn't help but smile. He cautiously laid back down, making sure not to disturb her when a loud knock rang throughout the house.

"It's for you..." Elena whispered rolling over when another, more frantic, knock sounded. Nate sighed, got up, and threw some pants on. Another knock rushed him into the hallway.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He irritably mumbled to himself. He opened the door and the shock snapped him awake. "Sam?!"

"Hey little brother. I, uh, I need your help."

"Come in." He paused and took a good look at him. "You look terrible; when was the last time you slept?" Nate questioned, shutting and locking the door behind him.

"That's not important. Did you get what I sent you?" Sam was a little fidgety, like he needed a cigarette.

"That Aztec token thing? Yeah… but Sam, Elena and I don't do that any more. We run a strictly legal business. We can't ju-"

"Nathan. Victor and I are in a lot of trouble here. You know how risky it was getting that to you?" Sam had aggravation in his voice.

"Risky? And you sent it here?! What if someone came looking for it!?" Nate was getting angry at the thought of someone entering his home, guns blazing like they normally did, and something happening to Elena over this little piece of treasure.

"Look, Nathan, the guy we stole that from, he's after something big. And if he gets it, let's just say Hitler would look like a saint. But he can't go any further without that; so as of now we have the advantage."

"Sam. It's 12:45. You can sleep in the spare room and we'll talk in the morning, all of us, over coffee. Where's Sully?"

"Separate flight. Thought it would be best if we weren't seen together. He should be here around 3." Sam was still fidgeting, but seemed to calm down at the thought of sleep.

"Just… text him to use the spare key. I'm going back to bed. We'll figure this out." Nathan walked Sam to the room he'll be staying in and when he turned to leave Sam called out after him.

"When you say all of us, you mean Elena too right?" Sam's question puzzled him.

"Yeah. She's just as much a part of this as I am. Get some sleep." Nate shut the door and walked back to his bedroom, still confused about what just happened. Maybe it was all a dream. He sighed.

"So, who was at the door?" Elena questioned when she felt Nathan slide back into bed. She turned around and gazed into his tired eyes, a look of concern flashed across her face.

"Sam. Sully will be joining use around 3." He laid down, wrapping himself around his wife. She pushed back so she could see his face.

"Everything all right?" The journalist in her couldn't rest until she knew what was going on.

"We'll talk about it in the morning." He pulled her close again and shut his eyes. The darkness brought back his nightmare but the warmth of Elena kept him sane.

"It's about that gold we got in the mail, isn't it?" She questioned.

"Mmmm." Was what she got in return. Elena silently huffed and shut her eyes, realizing the conversation was over.


	3. What Had Happened Was

Nathan Drake snapped awake. For a second he didn't know where he was or what was going on. He heard Elena's laughter coming from somewhere close. He sat up and rubbed his temples with a groan. He glanced at his watch; 8:14am. Throwing on some pants and t-shirt, Nate ventured off into the living room where everyone else should be. He felt more exhausted then he had at the start of the night. Dragging his feet a little he stopped at the open entrance.

"Hey hey! Look who's finally up!" Victor Sullivan, cheery as can be, greeted the drowsy Nate from the fridge.

"Mornin' Sully. Thanks for not knocking on the door like a crazy person last night." Nate glanced over to his brother. He was sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee, looking just as tired. Elena walked over to Nate and handed him a hot cup. She had a sad smile about her, like she could tell there was something wrong. "Thanks," was all he could muster.

"You seemed pretty beat, thought you could use the extra hour." She pressed, but received nothing in return. That's normally how it was with Nathan Drake.

"So, gangs all here. Can we talk now?" Sam squirmed in his seat.

"Can I wake up a little first?" Nate's words came out harsher than he intended.

"Do you not understand what's at stake here?!" Sam barked back, standing up in defense. Nate took a step closer to his brother.

"Do you?! You could have put my family in harms way by sending that thing here!" Nate hissed.

"Last time I checked, I was your family too!" Sam stood his ground.

"Ok, that's enough." Elena stepped between the brothers. "Nate, breakfast is on the table. We can discuss this when we're _all_ ready."

"Geese, what's gotten into you two?" Sully shot them both a look of disapproval. "You haven't seen each other in months and this is how you boys act?" Their hardened faces let up a bit. Sam sat back down and sipped on his coffee while Nate took his to the table behind the couch. Neither said a word.

"Glad to have you two back." Elena sounded heartfelt with a pinch of annoyance, which made Victor laugh.

"Glad to be back, darlin'." Victor smiled and placed a hand on Elena's shoulder.

Once everyone calmed down, Nate got up, grabbed an envelope from the counter, and joined Sam and Elena on the couch; Sully took the chair off to the left. Nathan tossed the package onto the coffee table in front of them.

"Lets start with where you got this." Nate broke the silence. Sam reached out and took the gold token out of the envelope; it was no larger than a half dollar.

"Where to begin?" Sam chuckled softly and rubbed the back of his neck. Sully leaned back in the chair. "It was a typical hot and humid day in sunny Rio…

* * *

Samuel Drake and Victor Sullivan were sitting at a table outside a café smoking; Sully his usual cigar and Sam his cheap cigarettes. A waitress walked over to their table with a coffee pot and smiled down at Sam. "Gostaria de mais um copo de café, senhor?"

"Qualquer coisa de voce, princesa." Sam leaned forward in his chair and grinned, Sully shook his head in disapproval.

"You know we have a job to do right?" He reminded Sam.

"Nothing wrong with mixing a little pleasure with business." Sam winked at the waitress once she was finished with his cup. She turned to Victor and he waved her off.

"I'm pretty sure it's the other way around… and the saying is you _shouldn't_ mix the two." Sully corrected, pointing at him with his cigar.

"Like you've never done it." Sam smirked.

"Hey. 5 o'clock." Sully motioned with his head. Sam stirred his coffee then raised the spoon and angled it so he could see behind him.

"How many?" Sam asked, squinting into the small reflection.

"Two Humvees." Sully snuffed out his cigar. "Let's go get a closer look." He took out some reals and placed it on the table as he got up. Sam took one more sip of coffee, flicked his cigarette butt, and followed suit. They casually walked a littler closer and pretended to turn left down a street. They both stopped and leaned against the wall. Sully peered slightly to see men exiting the vehicles.

"You see our guy?" Sam whispered.

"Not yet." Sully pointed with his head and stealthily moved from the corner to behind a stack of creates, conveniently placed in hearing rang of their target. Sam quietly joined him.

"Ele era suposto estar aqui ao meio dia! Eu nao gusto de ficar esperando!." The mercenary in charge spoke.

"O que você esta esperando? Este cara e praticamente dono da cidade. Ele aparece quando quer." Someone answered.

"Bom, se ele quiser o que estou vendendo melhor ele-" He closed his mouth when a third Humvee was in view. "'Bout damn time." He mumbled to himself. They waited silently for the buyer to exit.

"Did you catch any of that?" Sully turned to Sam.

"Yeah, the gist is _that_ guy, I'm assuming is the one in charge, is pissed this guy is late. Other mercenary said he owns the city so he can be late if he wants." Sam and Sully watched intently. "That has to be Reyes." He stated, watching a smug, highly muscled, man exit nonchalantly wearing dark shades and smoking a cigar.

"Sorry I'm late, I had a… problem that required my attention." Reyes spoke slowly in a calm, authoritative, tone. The other mercenary backed down, losing his dominance over the situation. "Do you have what I seek?" He asked politely. There was a pause, as the two looked each other over. The mercenary in charge snapped his fingers and someone approached the two alphas with a small box. A sly smile slithered across Reyes' face. "Open it." He ordered. The soldier did as he was asked and showed the contents. As Reyes was about to take it the box slammed shut, almost inclosing his finger with it.

"Ah, not until I get my payment." The mercenary in charge spoke up. Reyes' let out an amused chuckle as he gazed over his shoulder to one of his men. The soldier walked from the Humvee with a bag and tossed it to the seller. He opened it and thumbed threw a couple bills before he was satisfied. "Pleasure doing business with you." He nodded and the mercenary to his right handed the box over to Reyes. He opened it once more and gazed down at it in longing. He was about to pick up the contents when: "Careful senhor. You know what they say about that gold don't you?" Reyes looked back up to the pest in front of him, his men all ready getting back into their Humvees.

"Enlighten me." He dared.

"That token is cursed. Those who touch it will live their worst fears, but those who can face their fears will find what they seek." A sinister smile danced on his face and he turned back towards the vehicles. "Good luck my friend. Espero que nunca mais nos encontraremos." Reyes watched the two Humvees drive off. He looked back into the box and shut it once more.

"Let's go!" He barked to his men, sticking the box in a pouch on his right hip.

"We have to get that box." Sully whispered.

"I have an idea. You distract, I'll pocket."

"Tourists?"

"Tourists." Sam grinned. Sullivan straightened up and casually walked over to the Humvee. He waved his hand drastically to catch the attention of Reyes.

"Hey! You, uh, speak English? Poor favor?" Reyes turned and looked coldly at the interruption. "I'm a little lost." Sully began, stopping right next to his target. "I'm trying to find my way back to my hotel you see. I just had the best brunch at that café." He turned and pointed back the way he came. "And I know I came from that direction." He placed his left hand on Reye's right arm and turned him slightly in the direction he was pointed, turning his back towards Sam. Sully took a step to block Reyes from the view of the vehicle. That was Sam's cue. Sully continued to ramble on about nonsense, keeping the attention of Reyes. Sam snuck up behind him and lightly took to box out of his bag. He heard a door slam and saw a mercenary step out of the Humvee holding an AK in warning. Reyes held up his hand and Sully stopped. "Look buddy, I just need to know where to go." Sully took a step back to hide Sam from the new obstacle.

"Senhor. I suggest you go back the way you came. Leave. Now." Reyes threatened.

"Don't have to tell me twice." Sully chuckled, throwing up his hands. "I'll just ask that nice waitress at that café." He nodded and took a step back before fully turning. He started walking and saw Sam out of the corner of his eye. He pretended to come out of the side street and met up with Victor. It seemed like they were in the clear when

"STOP!" Reyes roared with venom in his voice.

"I think we should run now." Sam stated and the two took off down the street.

"SHOOT THEM!" He ordered to his men.

"For once, I would like to _not_ get shot at!" Sam yelled over the sound of gunfire and screams from bystanders.

"I'm getting too old for this crap." Sully said in return. They turned down an alley, hoping they wouldn't have to shoot their way out of this mess.

"How far is the car?" Sam fired blindly behind him when a stray shot hit the ground a little too close.

"Just up ahead." Sully turned and fired a couple shots hitting one guy and making the other take cover. They turned a sharp corner for cover and fired a couple more shots. It got quiet. They stayed against the wall for a moment. One brave mercenary walked into view and Sam grabbed him and slammed his face into the wall in one easy stroke.

"I'll take that." He said picking up the AK-47.

"I think that's all of them." Sully said. "Let's get going." They jogged across the street and into another alleyway. They both looked back to make sure they weren't being followed when part of a building crumbled in front of them and a giant Humvee blocked their way.

"Shit!" Sam yelped, stopping in his tracks.

"This way!" Sully yanked Sam's arm and turned back down the alley and right once they hit the street.

"This is not good Victor!" Sam yelled hearing the destruction of the Humvee close behind. The engine roared and bullets were shot from the passengers. They both tried to return fire as they ran but they barely scratched the hard shell of the truck.

"Down this alley! It's too small for it to follow and the car is just to the left!" They skidded quickly just as the Humvee was on their heels. The vehicle smashed into the walls causing them to crack but it didn't give enough for it to fit. It screeched trying to break free.

Sam and Sully came out of the alley onto a calm street. People living their lives, talking with friends, and totally unaware of what just happened. The pair casually walked to the rental Jeep. Sully got into the driver's seat and started the car. Sam laughed. "Well, that could have gone better." Sully snorted.

"Yeah, no kidding."

"At least we got what we came for." Sam took out the box and opened it to see a gold coin sitting on a red velvet pillow. Just then the Humvee came crashing into view behind them, bits and pieces of rubble sliding off the hood. It roared in anger. "Drive. Drive. Drive!" Sam cried and Sully floored it, trying not to hit the pedestrians. Sam started shooting what was left in his Para's magazine, aiming for the tires. Once that was emptied he tossed it aside and fired off the AK. "I need something stronger! You don't, by any chance, have an RPG do you?"

"Sorry, fresh out!" Sully veered sharply left making the jeep squeal. The Hummer was right on their tail, shots coming from inside. Wherever the Jeep went, their shadow wasn't too far behind. "Oh shit!" Sam yelled when a grenade fell into the back seat.

"Throw it back!" Sully shouted, trying to weave in between traffic and people. Sam reached back, ducking when a row of bullets came for his head. He hastily snatched the grenade and threw it without thinking of where it was going to land. It hit the road and went off as the Humvee rolled over it. The massive truck skidded and swerved left and right before plowing into a building.

"Nice toss." Sully laughed, knowing it was unintentional. Sam fired at the building's exposed support beam. It creaked under the weight and finally caved in onto the Humvee.

"Yeah!" Sam shouted in victory.

* * *

"…We ditched the car and walked back to the place we were staying. Once there I opened the box and mailed the token to you for safe keeping." Sam finished.

"Yeah, and he hasn't slept since." Sully added. There was silence in the room as Nate and Elena comprehended the story.

"Hang on, Reyes? As in Juan Reyes?" Elena spoke up.

"That's the one." Sully answered.

"Wait, you know this guy?" Sam leaned over Nate to see her face, just to make sure she wasn't messing with him.

"Yeah. When I was a journalist my team was tailing him for a while, before he got too dangerous and our boss pulled us out. He's a drug lord that deals in everything from guns and drugs to people and protection."

"So what is he after?" Nate asked, holding out his hand to Sam to examine the token again. Sam handed it over. He rubbed his thumb over the raised up image of a conquistador on a rearing horse, a cross behind them. He flipped it over. The back was raised to a small, sharp point. There were numbers etched around it: 38.9632 5.9585

"Last I heard from my contact, the people of Rio were getting tired of him; maybe he's trying to stop a revolt?" Elena added.

"So, where exactly does this lead to?" Nate asked a question that he wasn't really sure he wanted the answer to.

"An ancient Aztec treasure." Sam stated.

"That can use people's fears as control, supposedly." Sully clarified.

"So on the coin, that's Hernán Cortés." Nate added, wheels turning.

"You guessed it little brother." Sam smiled.

"Why would Cortés be on an Aztec coin? Didn't he slaughter them all?" Elena asked, leaning into Nate to get a better look.

"Yeah, but before that Montezuma, the chief of the Aztecs, thought that Cortés was one of their gods. They must have made these in honor of him." Nate started to get a little excited about the possibilities. He was trying to hide it, but Elena knew him better than he thought.

"Ok, so where is this Aztec treasure?" Elena asked, still not sold on this whole endeavor. Nate studied the coin closer, looking for the answer.

"These number, etched on the back, they were carved in long after it was made." Nate got up and walked to the small table in the hallway and opened the drawer to find a notepad and pen. He scribbled down the numbers. "Hey Sully, what do these look like to you?" He held the pad up. Sully scoffed.

"Goddamn coordinates."

"Guess we know where we're going next." Sam stood up, ready to leave right then and there.

"Hold on, _we_?" Nate objected.

"Yeah, we. Come on Nathan, we can't let Reyes get to that treasure. We" Sam gestured to everyone in the room "have to get there first." Nate laughed bitterly.

"I can't believe you're doing this again." Nate shook his head.

"It's different this time!" Sam counted.

"Like I haven't heard that before." Nate stated.

"Kid, we came here to tell you and Elena what's going on. No one is forcing you two to come along for the ride." Sully tired to calm the waters between the brothers.

"Nate." Elena finally spoke up in her soft, soothing voice. All eyes turned to her as she stood up and walked over to her husband. "I think we should go." Nate seemed speechless, like he wasn't expecting her to be onboard. "If this treasure does exist and Reyes gets it, when we could have done something to stop him, I don't think I could live with that." She rubbed his arm. "Come on Cowboy, what do you say?" She smiled up at him. In truth, she was just as excited for this adventure as he was.

"Three against one Nathan." Sam smiled like a child getting his way. Nate sighed, but a grin showed on his face.

"All right, I give." He said and put an arm around Elena. "Sully, where are we going?" The three looked at him with anticipation.

"Medellín, Spain."


	4. The Monument of Hernán Cortés

"It's sure nice knowing someone with a plane." Sam stretched, casually walking down the street. By the time the group got to Spain, found a place to stay, unpacked and sorted out their itinerary, the sun was starting to set. Most of the people still on the streets were walking in the opposite direction, turning in for the night. "So, why Medellín, Spain again?" Sam asked just for the sake of conversation.

"It's where Cortés was born." Nate answered, a tad annoyed.

"Thought you would have known that." Elena teased.

"Look sister, I know _pirate_ history. My Aztec is a little rusty." Sam sneered.

"Think we found our guy." Sully pointed at a huge monument in the middle of a plaza. They walked along the path that lead to the front and stopped at the fence blocking their way. The statue displayed Hernán Cortés proudly standing with the banner of Castile and holding a scepter. Under his feet were broken Aztec idols. Behind the monument were building with red shingles, they wrapped around and made a U around the plaza. A medieval castle was seen resting on a hill in the distance behind the structures.

"We need to get a closer look." Nate glanced around to make sure there was no one watching and climbed over the waist high fence. The others followed cautiously.

"So what exactly are we looking for kid?" Sully asked, looking up at the massive pedestal holding up the statue. There are two lion heads on either side of the first layer, holding a rod that stretched from one end to the other. A disc that reads MEJICO rested on what looks to be spearheads, a sword, and foliage was on the next layer. Those items repeated on all sides. The front had a coat of arms with the words _A HERNAN CORTES AÑO MDCCXC_ carved underneath on the pillar that held up the statue made of melted down cannons.

"Not sure." They each picked a side and examined it closely, feeling and pressing the stone trying to find a hidden secret.

"Hey, I think I got something." Elena called from the back. Nate, Sam, and Sully hurried over to see what she found. "Look at this." She said, running her fingers over a half dollar sized hole in the stone. It caved in and made a pyramid like imprint.

"I think I know what goes there. Care to do the honors?" Sam took out the token and handed it to his brother, excitement written on his face. Nathan carefully placed the coin in the mirroring slot and gently pushed until it locked into place. He winced, waiting for the usual stroke of back luck. "Huh. For once nothing actually happ-" Sam was interrupted as the earth rumbled beneath them. They took a step back as the ground slowly opened up, revealing wooden stairs that wound tightly down a hole. Nate tested out the first couple of steps. They creaked from not being used in centuries. Once he deemed them safe enough he continued down and the other trailed behind.

"This sure is a long way down." Sully broke the silence.

"Yeah, so watch your step." Nate called from the front. He took another step and it cracked, his foot caught. "Oh crap!" He said as the step broke. Sam reach out and caught his hand.

"Heh, that could have been bad." Sam said, trying to hoist his brother back onto the steps. They started to creak again. The board that was holding them up snapped in half and the steps crumbled down, taking the explorers with them.

Nate coughed as dust flew up from the old, untouched, surface. "Everyone" he coughed again "Everyone all right?" He asked in the darkness.

"Peachy." Sully groaned.

"Yeah." Elena winced.

"Couldn't be better." Sam coughed. Nate pulled out his flashlight and turned it on to see where they landed. The surface had a layer of dust from centuries of neglect and bones were scattered around. He gazed up the deep hole they fell through. The trap door above them had shut, closing them in, and the stairs looked as if they crumbled ages ago. Sam slowly got up and placed a hand on his back and Sully walked over and helped Elena to her feet. The surface started to creek under the unexpected weight. They froze. The stone jolted downward as something holding it snapped underneath. It started to tilt back in agony, the bones rolling off the side. "Corners NOW!" Nate yelled frantically. "We have to even it out!" They spread out to get the platform stable again. Once it stopped moving, Nate shined his light around. He was towards the left corner, Sully above him, Elena diagonal, and Sam to his right. Slow creaks still echoed around the dark abyss. They all turned their flashlights on, lighting up the room.

"You see a way out kid?" Sully asked. Everyone frozen in place, afraid to move or breathe. Nate shined the light cautiously around, looking for a way out of their predicament. The ground gently swayed and they slowly adjusted their position accordingly.

"Sully, there's a broken ladder above you. If we can shift our weight to this side we can tilt it up so you can reach it." Nate pointed the flashlight so it lit up a wooden ladder hanging off a ledge. "Elena, slowly walk this way. Sam, stay where you are." Nate ordered. He shined the light in Elena's direction and she nodded, "As soon as Sully climbs up we need to be ready to balance this out again. Ready?" Nathan asked. "One step at a time." He said and Elena started to move. The platform groaned and started to tilt down slightly. Elena took another step. It creaked louder. "One more step Elena. Sam, step to me, we'll meet in the middle." All three took a step; Nate and Sam to each other and Elena down to them. It tilted enough for Sully to reach up.

"I got it, get ready to move." He announced and jumped onto the ladder. The surface tilted downward faster with a groan and all three of them rushed to even it out again. Once the ground settled they froze again. "You three all right?" Sully shouted down, shining his light in their direction.

"Still standing." Sam yelled back.

"Elena, you're next." Nate directed. "Make your way to the left corner, Sam and I will keep it steady."

"Nate, we have to think about this." She said, doing the math. One wont be able to make it up.

"Get up to Sully, see if you can find something to weigh it down." Nate sounded so sure. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yeah, ok." She hesitated.

"We'll figure this out." He reassured her, making sure she would be safe. Elena cautiously moved to the left, the brothers adjusting their position when needed. Once she was in Sully's spot Nate and Sam took a step back to lift the surface. She reached up and grabbed the end of the ladder.

"I got ya darlin'." Sully said, reaching a hand down to help her up. As soon as her weight lifted from the ground Nate and Sam moved towards the middle again.

"We have to find a counterweight." Elena told Sully once she was standing on solid ground.

"Ok Sam" Nate sounded exhausted.

"Oh no. No way I'm going before you, little brother. Your wife would never let me forget that." Sam protested. "No arguing, you ready?" As soon as they were about to step away, the platform creaked and cracked. It lurched down again and the brothers braced themselves.

"Sully! Help me with this!" They heard Elena over the angry moan of the support beams.

"Nate, move!" Sam shoved his brother to the desired corner as their ground started to collapse beneath them. Nate dropped his flashlight as he stumbled from the surprised shove. Trying to keep his balance, Sam took a couple steps back giving Nathan a chance to reach the ladder.

"Sam, come on! I'll catch you!" Nate turned to see his brother still on the falling platform, he reached his hand down as a sign for him to run and jump.

"Nate!" Elena yelled. He glanced up.

"Heads up kid!" Sully hollered down. The two rolled a broken pillar off the side, almost hitting Nate on the way down. It hit the tilted platform with a thud and rolled down in Sam's direction. He ran and jumped over it. The extra weight giving him the height he needed and then some. The surface jolted down with the shattering of its support, making Sam stumble. He blindly jumped at the last possible second and reached for anything to hold on to. The platform crumbled down into the darkness. Nate reached down quickly and snatched his brother's hand, the force causing the ladder to snap. They fell for a split second then stopped. Sam and Nate looked up to see Victor Sullivan. "I got ya." He smiled down. He heaved Nate up just enough for him to grab the ladder again. Nate did the same with Sam. Once Nate was on solid ground he turned around and helped his brother.

"Well, I think that's enough excitement for tonight." Sam chuckled. Nate patted his back and laughed with him.

"Smart thinking with that pillar." Nate turned to Elena and Sully.

"Couldn't leave one of the Drake's behind." Elena smiled, but inside her heart was pounding. They took a minute to breathe before pressing on, checking out their new surroundings. It felt like a crypt. Cobwebs in the corner, bones and skeletons littered the floor and spaces in the walls.

"What is this place?" Sully asked, shinning his light on a skeleton. Nate walked over to it and scribbled something in his journal.

"He's wearing Spanish armor." Nate observed.

"Didn't protect him from that spear." Sam noted, standing next to Nate.

"Guess someone didn't want him to leave with the knowledge of this place." Sully added, looking ahead at their path.

"He's holding something." Nate reached down and pulled a ripped piece of parchment from his hand.

"What is it?" Elena questioned, joining the brothers.

"Looks like gibberish. ' _The eagle flies west, serpent slithers east, the jaguar-_ ' huh, that's it." He folded it and slipped it in the journal.

The four of them walked down the stonewalled corridor, the three flashlights guiding their way. They stopped at an intersection.

"Which way?" Elena asked. She shined her light left and Sam right. Both paths looked identical.

"You two go left, Sam and I will take the right." Nate said to Elena. They parted ways but ended up wrapping around and meeting up on the other side.

"Hi." Elena smiled when she saw Nate and Sam.

"Hi." Nate grinned back. The continued to walk for a while until the hallway opened up into a dark room. They slowly walked in, shinning the light and looking around the room. Nate walked over to a golden trough running along the left wall. He ran his index finger along the inside and examined the oily substance, rubbing his finger and thumb together. "Hey smoky, bring your lighter over here." Nate called to Sam.

"That's still hurtful." Sam said walking over to his brother. He handed his lighter over to Nate. "I'm trying to quit you know."

"I'll believe it when I see it. Watch out." Nate warned, lighting the lighter and reaching it down into the oil. With a whoosh, fire danced out of the trough and ran along the left wall. He did the same with the right side. A door slammed shut behind them, trapping them in, and the ground rumbled slightly. The four moved back against the wall they came through as the tiles on the floor flipped over to reveal symbols, creating a 5X5 platform. Holes appeared on the first two rows of tiles on the walls above the flames.

"These symbols, they're Aztec." Nate pointed. "The jaguar, the eagle, the serpent, and the flower." He took out his journal and made a quick sketch of their playing field. The gray stones turned into gold with red symbols inlaid with glass. A thin layer of dust rested on top from years of waiting.

"Is it safe to assume if we step on the wrong one, bad things happen?" Sam reached his foot out and pressed down on a tile with the flower symbol. Instantly darts shot out from the walls, flying across the board and landing into the fire. "Yep."

"So how do we get across?" Elena asked, hands on her hips.

"Don't know yet, look around to see if we've missed something." Nate answered.

"Over here." Sully said, kneeling on the ground over to the right. "It's a compass." They all joined him. There was a raised up gold compass enclosed in the stone, north pointing to the way out across the tiles.

"How does that help?" Sam sighed.

"Wait!" Nate excitedly pulled out the ripped parchment he took from the skeleton. "This isn't gibberish, it's the symbols!"

"So the eagle means go west, serpent east. What's north and south?" Elena asked looking over the board again.

"Well we can rule out the flower, thanks to Sam. So that must be south." Nate concluded.

"Which leaves the jaguar north." Sully finished. "I hope you're right about this kid." He added.

"Only one way to find out." Nate walked to the third tile in that depicted the jaguar. He carefully stepped on it, shutting his eyes just in case. The board creaked under his weight but nothing else happened. "Ok, go north." He said to himself, walking onto a serpent tile. "East." He continued onto another serpent. "East again. North. West, hello Mr. Eagle. North." He mumbled to himself trying not to think about the darts aimed for him if he missteps. "West. We- oh crap!" Nate stood on the next eagle tile and it snapped from the pressure.

"Nate!" Elena yelled from the other side of the room as the tile deteriorated under him. Quickly thinking he jumped to a flower tile. It cracked, causing him to stumble, luckily, onto the next tile.

"You all right kid?" Sully hollered.

"Yeah. Never better." He lightheartedly laughed. "Ok, another eagle." He turned west and continued on. "North, east, and north." He jumped to solid ground. A click sounded and the holes that housed the darts closed. The door started to open but stopped a couple inches off the ground. "It should be safe to walk across." Nate shouted. The three crossed and joined Nate safely on the other side. "Sam, help me with this." Nate said, reaching under the door. The two heaved it open enough for Elena and Sully to duck under it.

"Got it?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, go." Nate answered. Sam let go and the door dropped a little as Nate tried to hold the weight. He crawled through and grabbed it from the other side, giving Nate some relief.

"Ok." Sam said and Nate went under. Once on the other side he helped Sam lower it again.

"This can't be good from my back." Nate complained, straitening up again. He turned to explore the new room.


	5. Up the Creek

This room was smaller than the previous one and looked more like a sanctuary. The fire from the past room illuminated this one enough for the four to see. There was an expensive cherry oak desk that had a gold trim along the edges. Old papers were scattered around atop along with an idol of some kind, some trinkets, and a couple candles. A matching chair with red velvet pillows lay on its side in front of the desk. Nate walked over and examined the documents and maps. "This looks like the route Cortés sailed." He put it back down and searched the trinkets scattered around: compass, spyglass, coins, etc., nothing of importance. He picked up a note.

"Check out this guy." Sam said, pointing his flashlight at another skeleton that was slumped over in the corner. "Must be one of Cortés' men. Look, Aztec dagger in his hand. It's covered in blood." He observed.

"Do you think he killed himself?" Elena walked over to inspect the body.

"Yeah, I do." Nate turned around, still reading the note. "Listen to this:

 _…_ _And I with a heavy heart cannot continue on._

 _These nightmares are slowly eating me alive. I must end it._

 _The horrors I have seen in the new world must stay there._

 _Apologies to Captain Cortés, my lust for gold has driven me mad._

 _May thy fears forever stay hidden._

its signed Miguel de Torres." Nate got chills from that last sentence.

"Think he was talking about the treasure?" Sully asked.

"I don't' know. But if he was, we should be a little more cautious." Nate put the note in his journal, maybe once back at the hotel he could find something of importance within it.

"There's something else here." Elena reached over the body and pulled a page from his grip, causing his arm to fall. Sam shined his light over her. "It's a map of an Aztec temple." She handed it to Nate when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It looks like there's a secret entrance at the top." He said and Sam hovered over him to get a glance. In the corner of the old parchment a phrase was written: _Only by blood will the path be revealed._ Nate moved his thumb over the words, keeping its contents to himself.

"That's probably where this so called 'fear treasure' is being held." He smiled, feeling excitement at getting closer.

"Guess it's time to pack our bags again." Sully said.

"Have to find a way out of here first." Nate folded the map and placed it in his journal beside the note. Elena gave him a strange look, but he brushed it off and started to explore the room again. "They should have made another way out, in case of a cave in."

"Can't we just go back the way we came? We should be able to hook the ropes to the part of the steps that didn't break." Sam suggested.

"Would you really trust it to hold our weight again?" Sully asked, cocking and eyebrow. Sam just shrugged.

"There's a breeze coming from here." Nate said, his hand on the back wall. There was a slight crack that reached to the floor carved in the stone.

"Ok, so how do we get through?" Sam questioned. "Anyone have any dynamite?"

"I'm sure there's a switch or something." Elena said, messing with things on the desk. She came to the idol. It was a warrior with a decorative headdress carved from jade. Sam turned around just as Elena picked it up. As soon as the idol lifted from the surface a spike shot up and shattered it in her hand causing Elena let go and jumped back, heart pounding. A click resonated in the room. Sam was the first to her side.

"Hey hey! You all right?" He asked frantically.

"Yeah, it just missed me." She smiled at Nate who shoved his brother out of the way to make sure his wife was ok.

"Nice reflexes." Nate said, examining the spike.

"And you got the door open." Sully said. The three turned to the back wall where Sully was standing. Sure enough, the wall opened slightly. Sam walked over and helped Sully push it wider. They shined their lights down the corridor. "Looks like we got catacombs." Sully sighed. The way ahead was decorated with bones pressed into the walls and ground in a very ornate way. There were rectangles carved out of the walls on each side that house intact skeletons. Elena and Nate joined the others, only taking a moment to look around.

"We must be under the St. Martin church." Nate pointed out after inspecting the walls and making a quick sketch.

"Makes sense." Sam agreed.

"Come on, let's get going. This place gives me the creeps." Sully said and started walking down the crypt. Sam and Elena followed, leaving Nate to trail behind.

They came to a set of stone stairs with a hatch above. "That'll probably lead inside the church. Sam, help me with this." Nate said, climbing up the steps. The two brothers rammed the hatch with their shoulders and it barely budged. They did it again and it squeaked, moving an inch. With one last thrust the wooden hatch flew open, making the Drakes tumbled over the side.

"Yep. It's a church." Sam said, standing up and rubbing his shoulder. Nate turned to help Sully and Elena out of the crypt. Once everyone was out closed the hatch again while the other three walked to exit the church.

It was still dark outside but the sun was slowly showing its face. It was ominously quiet, nothing moving on the streets and a delicate fog just grazed the ground. Nate jogged to catch up. Once out the door a familiar sound made him slow: chk chk. He froze, feeling the barrel of a gun pointed at the back of his skull. He was shoved from behind to stand next to Elena; Sam and Sully where a step ahead of them. They were at the front of the church in the middle of the street. The guy with the pistol moved from behind and stood next to Nathan, gun still trained on his temple. There were three more guys surrounding them, one had a shotgun pointed up just waiting from one of them to move. A Humvee pulled up to the almost empty lot.

"Well well, isn't this nice." A voice hissed. Reyes strutted from around the corner, flinging a coin in the air and catching it again. "Thank you for leaving this for me to find." He sneered, putting the Aztec coin in his pocket. "Now, let's continue this generosity of yours and give me what you found in the catacombs." He unholstered his gun in a threating way. No one moved or said anything. Reyes waved his gun around and slowly stalked the group. "You know," He addressed Sam and Sullivan, "I didn't recognize you two when we met in Rio. But you." He aimed his gun at Nate. "You I know. The finder of lost cities, Nathan Drake. And the journalist, Elena Fisher." He slowly moved the gun to her. Nate step between the line of fire.

"Let's just calm down." Nate started.

"Yeah, what makes you think we found anything?" Sam, holding up his hands turned to protect his little brother. "Hi, Sam Drake." He extended his hand as if expecting to shake Reyes'. His smartass comment earned him a livid scowl

"You think I am an idiot?!" Reyes snapped, cocking his gun and pointing it right in Sam's face. "I have spent my life looking for this and I will not have you get in my way!" He took a deep, calming, breath. "Now. The map. Please." He hissed between his teeth. "Don't make me ask again." He glared.

"I'm telling you, there was noth-" Sam started but was struck in the nose by the hilt of a Reye's gun.

"Sam!" Nate went to move but the gun pointed to him.

"Just give him the damn thing, kid." Sully spoke up. Nate hesitated but slowly pulled his journal from his back pouch. He pulled out the old piece of parchment that showed the Aztec temple. Reyes walked over and snatched it from him. He turned to examine it closely. He started to laugh.

"Finally. After all these years." He smirked to himself and started to walk away towards his Humvee. He paused for a moment before getting into the passenger seat. Without turning, back he raised his chin. "Kill them." He said coldly then left his men to do the job.

The men with guns smirked and aimed. In one fluent motion, Sam and Sully knocked the guys closest to them, taking their guns, and hitting them with the hilt. The two men fell to the ground motionless. Within seconds, Sully tossed the shotgun to Nate who quickly fired at the dumbfounded goon in front of him. More shots rang out from Reyes' men that just joined the party. Nate picked up the pistol and handed it to Elena. He fired a couple more shots of the shotgun blindly; the range wasn't close enough for him to hit a target. The four split up and ran for cover. Nate stopped behind a palm tree while Elena dove for a car parallel parked. Sam and Sully were across the street behind another parked car. They shot when they could but were quickly running out of bullets.

"Nate, on your left!" Elena yelled over the gunfire. Nate turned just in time to get smacked in the face. He stumbled back but raised the shotgun and fired. The assailant flew back from the force of the blast, landing on his back. Elena stood up and shot another that was getting closer to Sully.

"Thanks darlin'!" He shouted from across the street. A grenade was thrown at the car making Sam and Sully run for a doorway. The explosion lit up the car with fire.

"Someone was bound to hear that!" Sam yelled. "We need to finish this up quickly!"

"Working on it!" Nate yelled back, shooting another one of Reyes' men that got too close. There were three men left. Victor shot one as he stood to take a shot. Two more. "Sam!" Nate hollered. Sam turned and nodded.

"Cover me!" Nate said to Elena and Sam to Sully. The brothers ducked out of cover while Elena and Sully shot at their targets. The Drakes ran towards their attackers and at the same time, mirroring each other's moves, punched the guys in the head, dodged around, and grabbed them by the neck, knocking them out cold. Sully and Elena jogged to meet them.

"That's the last of them." Elena said, hands on her hips.

"We have to get out of here." Sully said, hearing sirens in the distance. They climbed over the brick wall surrounding the church to cut to the back. From there they cautiously made their way back to the motel they booked for the night.

Nate unlocked their room and they wall walked in, out of breath and ready to rest before flying out. "We should try to get a couple hours of sleep before heading to Mexico." Nate suggested, putting the shotgun on the desk in the room.

"Reyes wont be resting. He's probably on his way to that temple right now." Elena, shockingly, was the one to protest.

"He won't be able to get close to the temple until the evening. It's a tourist trap." Nate reassured her. "And I'm sure he doesn't have the best pilot like we do. That should by us some time."

"Besides, if I'm flying, I think a little shut eye would do me good." Sully winked at her. Sam crawled onto the couch and hugged a pillow.

"A little shut eye it is." He exhaled, exhausted. Sully claimed the bed close to the window leaving the one by the door for the happy couple. Elena got into bed and patted it for Nate.

"It was your idea." She teased. He smiled softly, turning the light out. He set an alarm for 8am before joining her. The room went black, his eyes feeling heavier than he thought. Ever since getting that Aztec coin, sleep wasn't that kind to him. Feeling the warmth from Elena he hope a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep would rejuvenate him to his normal self. With a deep sigh he was out in mere seconds.

Once the room was silent, Sam reluctantly opened his eyes. He got up and reached in his bag for a cigarette. Making sure not to disturb the others, he made his way to the door and stepped outside. He slouched against the wall lighting his addiction. With a slow and somber exhale of smoke he closed his eyes, trying to grab that feeling of peace again.


	6. Mind over Matter

Nate's eyes shot open. His heart racing, sweat falling from his brow. He regretfully glanced at his watch. It had only been twenty minutes since he closed his eyes. With a heavy groan he gently scooted away from Elena and walked to the bathroom. He rested his hands on the sink and leaned over trying to calm his nerves. He turned on the cold water and splashed his face a couple times. Snatching a towel from behind he patted the water off his face. With a calming exhale his heart rate started to slow. Movement from the front window caught his attention, perking him up again. He walked over and peeked out and saw his brother leaning against the wall, snuffing out a cigarette. He raised an eyebrow. Nate stealthily opened the door and left the calmness of the hotel room. There was a nip in the air, making Nate shutter before closing the door behind him.

"Hey." He greeted his brother.

"Hey." Sam echoed back, not expecting company. "Can't sleep either?" Nate shook his head at the question and leaned against the wall next to Sam. It was silent for a moment, the two just enjoying each other's company, but also afraid to say what was on their minds.

"Hey, remember that haunted house we went to as kids?" Nate broke the stillness between them, his voice sounding like a stranger to him. "The one on the boardwalk?"

"Oh yeah." Sam chuckled, thinking back. "Wow, I hadn't thought of that in ages." A soft smile appeared on his face. "If I remember correctly, that clown made you cry."

"I was a kid!" Nate justified "And clowns are creepy." a half-hearted smile and chuckle escaped his lips, but vanished just as fast as it came. Sam's heart sank when he noticed the somber expression.

"Nathan, I…" Sam tried to find the right words, rubbing the back of his neck. Nate shook his head.

"Nah, don't worry about it." Nate tried to put on his best smile, but he eyes betrayed him. "We should… probably both try to get some sleep. You get a little irritable when you're tired." Nate joked.

" _Me_?! You were always the bear in the mornings." Sam playfully shoved his brother. They stood and talked, catching up in their lives and trying to forget about what they saw when the closed their eyes. For the most part it was ramblings about their childhood and how much gold they would find once they reached Mexico.

A knock on the window behind them brought the brothers back to reality. They looked up from the cement walkway they were sitting on to see Elena on her cell phone. She smiled and pointed to her watch. Nate and Sam glanced towards each other before getting up and entering the room once more.

"What, were you two sittin' out there all morning?" Sully asked, packing up his duffle bag.

"Lost track of time." Nate replied, walking over to pack his bag next to Elena, Sam did the same.

"Yeah, great! We'll be there in a couple hours. Ok. Thanks again." Elena hung up the phone and tossed it into her bag. "That was an old friend of mine, he's getting us permits to explore the temple." She said as she continued to pack. "You ok there Cowboy?" Elena quietly asked, her focus never leaving her bag. When he didn't answer right away she turned to him.

"Yeah." Nate said nonchalantly with a grin. She nodded.

"You would tell me if there was something wrong, right?" She sounded hurt with a mixture of anger, not a good combination. Nate stopped what he was doing and turned to her.

"Alright! Packed and ready to hit the road!" Sam slung his bag over his shoulder and walked to the door. "Uh, I'll go call us a cab."

"I'll get the bill." Sully said, walking out with Sam, leaving the couple alone to finish their conversation.

"Elena. I'm fine, really!" He tried to laugh it off.

"Really?" She asked sarcastically. "You haven't slept since we got that token in the mail, Nate. And to be honest, Sam looks just as bad as you do." Nathan was silent, carefully placing the last of his items in his bag. "Just… Don't shut me out again." She grabbed her luggage and walked towards the door.

"It's just a nightmare. I wake up, see you, and realize that's all it is." He assured her, lifting his bag and meeting her at the door. She gave him a look that urged him to go on. He let out a huff. "It's something that happened when we were kids, that's what Sam and I were talking about outside. Really honey, there's nothing to worry about."

"Ok." She said, satisfied for now. They walked out as their cab pull up.

"Next stop, Méjico!" Sam excitedly tossed his duffle bag in the trunk. "Let's go love birds!" He yelled to Nate and Elena then jumping into the backseat. Sully just shrugged and shook his head.

"To Mexico." Nate placed his arm around Elena.

"To Mexico." She copied.

* * *

 ** _Mexico City, Mexico_**

"Alright! First things first, we need a car." Sam excitedly stated, taking in the busy atmosphere of the city.

"I'll cover this one." Sully said.

"Make sure it has a winch, it came in handy in Madagascar." Nathan added.

"Came in handy? We used it, what, twice?" Sully snorted, stopping outside of the car rental place.

"Uh, three times." Sam intervened with a know-it-all smirk.

"I was just making sure you were getting ripped off, kid. I'll get your stupid winch." Sully waved them off with a smile and walked it.

"I'll cosign." Nate said, following his partner in. Elena rolled her eyes at the conversation, feeling like she missed something. She waited outside with Sam, watching people walk buy without a care in the world. She turned to Sam who had the same exhausted look as Nate did.

"It's that coin right?" Elena asked. He turned to her confused at the question. "The reason you two can't sleep. Your worst fears, the nightmares?" She crossed her arms, knowing she was right but wanting to hear it from him. He inhaled deeply and nodded.

"Yeah, that's the conclusion I came to." Sam tried his best to make light of the situation. "Victor never touched it; and from what it seems, you never did either." Sam stated. She nodded then gazed elsewhere, not sure what to say next. "Nathan, he hasn't told you about it has he?" Sam asked.

"Worst fear, I can only guess." She stated, meeting Sam's eyes again. A small smile appeared on her face. "It has something to do with clowns right? He mentioned a while back that those were a 10 on his fear scale." She laughed softly, thinking back to that moment in Nepal. The smile left and her face turned serious with a hint of curiosity. "What do you see?"

The question surprised him for some reason. His heart started pounding in his chest as his mind raced to the fear he kept bottled up. "I…" He stumbled. Something caught his attention behind Elena. He leaned over to looked past the blonde. "Oh shit." He said pulling Elena by the arm closer to the wall. She turned to see what he was looking at. "Reyes' men." He whispered. There was a Humvee parked in the middle of the road blocking the way. Three guys wearing bulletproof vests stood guarding, two had AKs and the third a shotgun.

"Behind you, another blockade." Elena informed, seeing another Humvee pull up and block the street. Sam knocked on the rental car store window, getting the attention of Nate as Sully was signing the papers. He made a 'hurry up' gesture with his hands and Nate nodded. The two hid their faces and stood close to the wall, waiting for Sully and Nate. When they walked out Sam and Elena immediately reached out and pointed to the blockades.

"Where's Reyes?" Sully asked, scanning the mercenaries.

"He could be on his way to the temple if his goons are blocking the roads." Sam guessed, glaring at the obstacle in their way.

"Then we better hurry." Nate said tossing the keys to Sully. "We'll take care of the mercenaries, get the car and meet us down that street." Nate said pointing to the blockade Sam spotted to his left.

"Try not to draw too much attention." Sully warned before leaving to get the rental.

"Elena, Sam, take the two with the assault rifles, I'll get the guy with the shotgun." Nate instructed. They blended in with a group of people and walked towards the targets. The three mercenaries stood in a line in the middle of the street so no one could get past. All at once, in one fluid motion, Nate, Sam, and Elena each seized the man in front of them. Sam punched the soldier in the face then wrapped around behind him chocking him until he was unconscious. Elena smashed the mercenary's head into the Humvee before knocking him out. Nate grabbed the guy with the shotgun and pulled his helmet off. He was about to knock him out when a gunshot sounded from his right. His attention left the mercenary and he saw Elena hit the ground, blood seeping from her stomach. "ELENA!" He yelled as panic and fear washed over him. He tried to reach her but the mercenary hit him in the head with his shotgun, stunning him for a moment. Sam reach down and picked up an AK-47 and shot the last mercenary standing. The shots caused screams from pedestrians and got the attention of the mercenaries at the other blockade. Shaking off the hit, Nate looked for Elena. She was standing in front of him, hands on his face trying to get him to focus. She looked scared.

"Nate?!" She worriedly called to him. A round of bullets flew by them and into the side of the Humvee. They ducked their heads and moved around to the other side of the vehicle.

"What the hell happened?!" Sam asked, more shots riddled the armored car. He shot back once the bullets ceased.

"Elena?" Nathan was confused. He saw her get shot. He saw her on the ground covered in blood.

"A little help would be nice!" Sam shouted, breaking Nate's thoughts. The mercenaries were getting closer, the gunshots and screams filled the air. Out of nowhere a 4x4 came barreling into view, it stopped behind the Humvee almost running over the three people hiding.

"Get in!" Sully barked. Without hesitation they jumped over the doors and into the seats, Nate and Sam in the back Elena in the passenger.

"Thank you Victor!" Sam praised, hitting the side of the car as a sign to go.

"Buckle up!" Sully said, pulling the car in reverse then speeding off down the street. The jeep screeched and skidded but followed the orders. After a few minutes of reckless driving the city disappeared from view and jungle surrounded them. Not sure if he was going the right way, Sully made quick decisions until he was sure they weren't being followed. Once he was satisfied he pulled over in the middle of nowhere with nothing but trees and rocks around them. "Didn't I say not to draw attention?" Sully lectured, putting the car in park and turning to see who would talk first.

"Yeah, what happened back there Nathan?" Sam asked, all eyes focused on Nate. He was silent.

"You yelled my name like something happened." Elena started.

"I-I don't know. I heard a gunshot and when I looked over, Elena you…" He trailed off.

"There was no gunshot. Well, until I shot that guy that was going to shoot you with a shotgun." Sam said, leaning back in his seat. Elena and Sully looked at each other. Nate got out of the car and walked over to Elena. He opened the compartment in front of her and took out a map. He spread it out on the hood. Sully got out and placed a hand on his shoulder, looking down at the map with him.

"Maybe I should drive." Sully said flatly.

"I'm fine, Sully. Just need to figure out where to go." Sam got out of the car and joined Nate and Sully. "Teotihuacan. The capital of the Aztec empire and where chief Montezumá resided." Nate said, placing his finger on the destination. Elena stood up and rested her hands on the railing above her to get a look. "If we cut through the jungle we should save some time."

"Good thing we have a winch." Sam snickered, pulling a cigarette from his pocket.

"Let's just hope we beat Reyes there." Elena said. Nate handed the map over to Elena and got in the driver's seat. "You're not driving." She ordered, still concerned about the hallucination.

"Elena, I'm fine." He snapped.

"No, your not." She shot back. "Move." She got out of the car and opened the driver's door. She shot him a look and he put his hands up and slid over to the seat she was in moments ago. She slammed the door shut and put the car in drive. The two men in the backseat glanced at each other, trying not to laugh.

"Remind me not to piss her off." Sam murmured to Sullivan. Elena started to drive while Nate gave her directions.

For the most part it was a quiet drive, every now and then Sam or Sully would strike up a conversation or a joke to lighten the mood.

"So, a guy went to the zoo and they only had one exhibit that had a dog in it. It was a shih tzu." Sam laughed. "Get it? Shih tzu, like shit zoo?" Elena laughed a little and Nate and Sully shook their heads.

"Don't encourage him." Nate said to Elena.

"Come on, it was funny!" Sam protested.

"Better than that pirate one you told last time." Sully added. There was a harsh light up ahead as the dense trees opened up.

"Slow down." Nate cautioned. Stopping the car at the edge of the trees they looked around. There were tourist taking pictures and having picnics in the open clearing that surrounded the Aztec Temple. The step pyramid stood in the middle.

"I don't see any sign of Reyes." Sam pointed out, looking around.

"So we beat him here." Sully said. Elena drove the 4x4 right to the base of the temple and they all got out to look around. Nate took out his journal and made a quick sketch before looking up at the almost 200 foot stone structure. A man jogged over to the jeep, waving his hand with a smile.

"Mrs. Fisher, it has been ages!" He said coming right up to Elena. "I got the permits you requested, I hope you find something of interest in there. Many people have tried but I'm sure D&F Fortunes will turn up something." He grinned as he handed the papers over to Elena. "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call." The man shook their hands then walked off.

"Guess we should start climbing." Nate said, placing his journal back in his pocket.

They climbed the steps on the back of the limestone pyramid and once at the top examined all the idols and carvings. There was still blood stained on some of the stone from almost 500 years ago.

"It should be one of these." Nate said, lightly tapping on the idols. He came to one that crumbled slightly when it felts his hand. "Bingo." He said standing up with a grin. Sully scratched the surface a bit.

"It's baked clay. Sneaky bastards." Sully said.

"Can we break it?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, it was meant to be easily broken. This would have been the secret entrance the priests would use." Nate and Sam kicked at the idol until it was dust at their feet. It revealed a small, dark passage. Turning on his flash light Nate looked in. "It's going to be a tight squeeze but it looks like it opens up further in." He said, hunching over to fit in the small space. The others fallowed him in, flashlights guiding the way.


End file.
